No matter if you operate a small shop or an established corporation, local SEO marketing can help connect you with customers more easily.
Local SEO strives to rank well for searches relevant to your geographic region.
There are several strategies you can employ in this regard, such as developing content and building backlinks; but the primary focus should be on engaging your community by connecting with customers in your vicinity.
Keyword Research
Keyword research involves identifying words people use when searching for your products or services online, in order to make your business appear in geo-specific search results and bring more customers.
Local SEO keyword research can often go overlooked by businesses, yet it can be essential for their success. Focusing on finding low-volume but high-intent terms will drive highly-targeted traffic to your website and increase conversion rates.
Keyword research tools with advanced features will make the task of keyword analysis simpler, such as SEMRush’s keyword tool which offers insights into search volume, intent and competition for targeted keywords.
Competitor Analysis
Competitor analysis is an integral component of Local SEO Marketing and can help determine how best to compete for keywords and content. By uncovering gaps within your competition and spotting opportunities to outstrip them in search engines, competitor analysis provides insight into how you can compete for success in search engines.
Doing keyword research and examining Google SERPs are effective strategies. A tool such as Ahrefs can also help gather data for compiling an accurate list of relevant keywords.
Competitor analysis should be undertaken frequently; you should reevaluate keywords, monitor for algorithm updates and site migrations, as well as keep an eye on newly added pages or features like featured snippets.
Local Citations
Citations is an integral component of Local SEO Marketing. They allow consumers to quickly locate your business and ensure they can easily contact you.
Your local SEO ranking on Google Maps will also increase, which could result in more foot traffic and leads.
There are two primary categories of citations: structured and unstructured.
Structured Citations are listings found in local directories, review websites and other third-party websites that follow a specific format.
Citations typically consist of your business’s name, address and phone number (NAP), making them effective tools for increasing search engine rankings as well as building backlinks to your website.
On-Page Optimization
Local SEO marketing is an efficient and straightforward way to expand the local presence of your business quickly and effortlessly. By optimizing for local search, the likelihood that potential customers will discover you via a Google search or another online platform increases significantly and brings them one step closer towards making a purchase decision.
On-page SEO strategies include numerous tactics designed to make your website search engine-friendly and help it rank higher in organic results pages (SERPs). This may involve optimizing elements like HTML code, title tags, meta descriptions, content and internal links.
Off-Page Optimization
Off-page SEO refers to any action taken outside your website to influence search engine ranking, such as building backlinks, creating content or promoting it via social media.
Off-page optimization relies heavily on links coming to your site; however, low-quality links that don’t add any real value should be avoided.
Backlink building is one of the primary forms of off-page SEO, serving to increase your site’s authority and bring in new visitors.
Social Media
Social media is one of the most effective tools for local SEO marketing efforts, providing an inexpensive yet easy means of increasing brand recognition, drawing in new customers, and increasing search engine rankings.
Keep your Facebook page current with promotions, interactive posts, and relevant details about your services to build trust between your business and its customers. When customers share this content on their walls it boosts visibility leading to more traffic on your website.
Instagram and TikTok are widely-used platforms for sharing photos and videos, creating buzz for businesses online. By following local SEO best practices, these platforms can have even greater effect on enhancing your company’s online reputation and rankings.